How to stop being so hard on yourself 🙅‍♀️

If you’ve stopped to read/watch this, you’re probably thinking, holy crap, she’s talking to me. 😳

The reason I wanted to talk about this is because I WAS HARD ON MYSELF. I still am, but I’m so much better at giving myself credit, celebrating the little stuff, and having grace for myself.

It kind of seemed like nothing was good enough. There was always something more to reach for as I grew up playing competitive softball.

I mean, as athletes we have to be hard on ourselves. That’s what makes us great athletes. That’s what makes us competitive. That’s what drives us. But….. there is a balance. And oftentimes, our scale is tipped way over to the side of I’m-so-hard-on-myself-I’m-never-satisfied.

The perfect example of how being toooo hard on yourself can be detrimental to success. 👇👇👇

I had made it! 🙌 I received that offer from the head coach at Northwestern University. I was going to play Division I softball at a highly academic school. IN THE BIG TEN!

I was excited. But, it was go time. I was recruited late and definitely didn’t have any promises of “playing time.” From the moment I stepped on campus, I needed to stand out somehow.

I worked really hard my freshman year. Pushed myself. Battled. Got the extra reps in. 💪

That first weekend of February was coming soon. The first weekend to finally PLAY! It was even more exciting for me specifically because we opened up in my hometown. I was excited, but still had no idea if I would start or what. 🤗😬

The first game was here. Not to mention, against one of the greatest teams in the country, Oklahoma.

I remember my senior pitcher, Jessica, telling me… “YOU’RE STARTING!” I couldn’t believe it! Yesssss! Everything I had ever worked for. I was proud of myself. Woop! Not being hard on myself, for now. 💃

As the games went on that weekend, I caught well, but, I definitely wasn’t hitting very well. More weekends of play went by, still starting catcher, but the bat just wasn’t coming through.

I was so hard on myself. I was frustrated. Angry. Annoyed. NOT CONFIDENT. 😭

(It was like this for 3 WHOLE YEARS by the way)

That being so dang hard on myself attitude did these things…

😩It kept me from being the best teammate I could have been.

😩It made me feel like I was never going to be good enough.

😩It stole my joy of the game.

😩It kept me from being the hitter I could have been.

So, if you think always being hard on yourself is the answer…

IT’S NOT. 🙅‍♀️🙅‍♀️🙅‍♀️

You have to have balance. ⚖️

In my senior year, I had to…

💗Learn to love myself no matter where I was at.